May 15, 2012

NYX HD Studio Photogenic Grinding Blush Review and Swatches

My review on the NYX HD Studio Grinding Blush is a long time coming since I have a love/hate relationship with them.

Tried them?

Why do you love them?

I’m betting several people will proceed to tell me they hate them and I totally understand why….

What a great blush.

I dunno how they do it but NYX successfully creates inexpensive, quality makeup time and time again.

NYX’s HD Studio Photogenic Grinding Blush compact allows you to freshly grind just the right amount of blush which each application. This finely milled formula gives a super, flawless finish with plenty of pigmentation and a lovely camera-ready finish. I found the finish was pure perfection that melded with skin beautifully leaving behind a lovely glow with a long wearing formula. I absolutely love everything about the formula.

English Rose

Sangria in Madrid

Apricot

English Rose, Sangria in Madrid, Apricot

The packaging is a complete dud…

At first glance, I thought the screw top pots incredibly cute. Each blush has a top that completely unscrews and a mirror hidden in the top part. The wells are large enough to comfortably swirl a brush in as well and let’s not forget the generous size of 0.25 oz size for $15! I thought the little black pots quite nice to look at as well.

Problem?

The mess created after each grind.

Sadly, I find I end up grinding too much product no matter how careful I am and if I screw the lid on with a little blush left over in the pot the next time I open it I find a complete mess. The blush ends up all over the rim, mirror, etc…

I find the faulty packaging is a complete killjoy and deal breaker for me so I actually never bothered hauling additional shades of the blush in the end and just stuck with the original three shades I own.

Overall, NYX should consider perhaps a flap to cover any extra unused blush to keep things a little less messy. These won’t travel well if you keep powder inside the pot and they tend to make a royal mess if you do store them with powder inside.

No likey!

Great formula but a vast improvement on the packaging is needed before I can recommend them.

Disclaimer: Two of these blushes I purchased and one was given to me as a press sample for review.

About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

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Comments

  • Sarah

    I was gonna say, the colors are supremely pigmented but I’m not sure if I could get behind the whole grind your own blush thing because it looks like it’d get super messy. 😮 Still might be worth a try since it’s a lot of blush for $15.

  • Ruth

    can you pry the grinder ttop hingie off and just use it like a regular blush?

  • Leighann

    Bummer! I wanted to try these when Ulta had NYX 40% off. When I checked, they only had 2 colors in stock. When I went back to put them in my cart, they were all sold out. I still kind of want to try one because they look gorgeous, but the packaging is a real buzz kill!

  • chelle

    I have these in menage a trios & english rose. I really love the formula. It goes on smoothly, lasts all day, and very little (VERY VERY LITTLE) goes a long way. (It will take forever to finish a pot.)

    I only grind out what I intend to use and that helps in preventing huge messes. That being said, I turn the grinder just enough to get a few particles loose, sometimes I don’t even use the grinder at all and just use what my brush picks up through the holes. 🙂

    My problem with the packaging is that it’s rather bulky and I kind of hate having it in 2 pieces. I would have preferred a flip compact like the HD grinding powder foundation (which I also love). Furthermore, I don’t think I’ll be able to tell when I’m nearing the pan.

    • the Muse

      hey chelle, I’ve tried really hard to just grind a little but for some reason I always end up with a lot! I actually like the packaging, I like not having a lid attached, makes it easier to get my brush in without hindering me. I do think you’ll be able to see, through the holes, that you’re getting nearer to the end ;-D

  • Mary

    These have been out a while and I don’t know why my local Ulta still doesn’t have them 🙁

  • Majick

    I have not seen these yet. THey look lovely. The grinder reminds me of Smashbox Halo. I don’t have a problem with that one but I do what Chelle does and only move the grinder 1 or 2 clicks. I say click because even a 1/4 turn will put out enough powder for an army. Sometimes I don’t turn it at all either.

  • stef

    you guys are all cray cray. if a blush looked totally AMAZING on me i wouldn’t care at all about the packaging